Did City Police News Release Fuel Child Sex Abuse Conspiracy Theory?

April 25, 2008 — Did it feed and fuel the conspiracy theory surrounding child sex abuse in Cornwall? Compelling testimony yesterday at the Cornwall Public Inquiry over a 1994 Ottawa police investigation into how the Cornwall Police handled a sex abuse case. At the time, the Ottawa Police report said the Cornwall investigation was in part "inept and ineffective", even though it mentioned some good police work. However, a short time later the Cornwall Police issued a news release regarding the Ottawa police investigation and the release did not mention that concern. Leo Courville was the chair of the Cornwall police services board when that release was issued. He was on the stand yesterday and faced numerous questions about the Cornwall news release. Commissioner Normand Glaude suggested this may have led conspiracy theorists to think there was a police cover up. (Hear audio clip below) Garry Guzzo is the former Ottawa area M.P.P. who lobbied for the inquiry. Courville says in hindsight it might have been a good idea to release the entire Ottawa police report. 

[Transcript of audio clip: Mr Guzzo for example who for years for example, who for years said that the Ottawa Police had covered up and it was part of the conspiracy because the report wasn’t released and what flowed from the press release and what the press said was that there was no problem ]